St. Paddy's Day in Ireland is an all week celebration. While the Irish don't paste fake shamrocks onto their faces and wear those funky green and orange outfits that Americans love to wear they do make sure to celebrate. (Yes, my roommates and I did make sure to represent our Irish Americanness!)
The day started off with the parade at 11:15 a.m. The streets were crowded and people young and old came around to watch one of the best St. Paddy's Day parades in Ireland. Galway is the Irish capitol, many of its inhabitants still speak Irish and signs all across the city still read in Irish because it is next to Connemarra were the largest percentage of Irish speakers still live today. Galway in Irish in fact is Gaillimh.
The day started off with the parade at 11:15 a.m. The streets were crowded and people young and old came around to watch one of the best St. Paddy's Day parades in Ireland. Galway is the Irish capitol, many of its inhabitants still speak Irish and signs all across the city still read in Irish because it is next to Connemarra were the largest percentage of Irish speakers still live today. Galway in Irish in fact is Gaillimh.
The difference with a real Irish parade and an Irish American parade is that unlike our hyper-Irish themed parades real Irish don't just celebrate one aspect of being Irish. They celebrate every ethnicity and culture found in Ireland and make sure to include youth clubs from the county.
Little tykes with flutes, recorders and countless other instruments were a big hit with the crowds! They were so cute!
Yes, haha they even had belly dancers!
Many adults had a little green on them to celebrate the day, but nothing as gaudy as what we do in the US. Instead the adults often has sprigs of clover tucked into their hats, coat pockets or pinned to their jacket.
My favorite moment in the parade would have to be the very cheerful Irish man and his choo choo train. He threw candy to the children in the crowd and walked his train throughout the whole parade by himself!
Overall St. Paddy's day was a blast and I really enjoyed meeting new people on the street and in the pubs. The Irish are always friendly but on St. Paddy's Day they really shine.
Overall St. Paddy's day was a blast and I really enjoyed meeting new people on the street and in the pubs. The Irish are always friendly but on St. Paddy's Day they really shine.
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